Negative
by Inkfire
Summary: Ginny has a new shadow, one with wide, wide eyes that cannot let go of her. Day and night, it seems, she's being followed. A fic written for the Remixing challenge on the Dark Lord's Most Faithful Forum, adapted from an existing fanfiction.


**This was written for the Remix challenge hosted by the lovely TuesdayNovember on The Dark Lord's Most Faithful Forum. Prompt is as follows:**

_**Rewriting challenge**_

_**For this challenge, the goal is to rewrite a fic written by another member - essentially, it's fanfic fanfic. And of course, just like fanfiction, the idea is not slavish dedication to the original, but creativity and a new reworking of the original idea. **_

**The fic I decided to rewrite is the multi-chapter _Friends_ by abused wide bellatris and can be found here on . Here for a bit of background: ****the original fic portrays Luna's descent into darkness, which is triggered at the beginning by her overhearing Ginny, whom she considered her only friend, referring to her as "Loony"—something she was the only one not to do. She then realizes that Ginny is not really her friend and she really has no friends at all, and that, coupled with her classmates bullying her, leads her to utterly lose herself. I chose to focus on the part in which she starts following Ginny around, and switch to Ginny's POV. Situation and characterization are thus taken and adapted from the original work and I claim no ownership of them.**

**I really, really hope the author enjoys this =D**

* * *

Luna was following her again.

At first Ginny didn't notice. In the commotion of Hogwarts, the constant overflow of students, she thought nothing of the girl's presence, so often, just at the edge of her vision. Why would she? This was Luna, just Luna—nice, harmless Luna. Nothing worth a second thought.

Then she started feeling the gaze.

The gaze was boring into the back of her skull. It was nothing, really nothing—she'd only turn around and Luna would be looking at her, all big eyes eating up her face. Luna always did have creepy eyes. Sweet Luna, for all of her weirdness. She tried to shake off the first tinge of discomfort.

The gaze was always there.

Always, always, always.

It was probing and it was possessive. Or it _wasn't _really, because Luna wasn't like that, not a stalker, no. And yet it possessed her, as those eyes would be there everytime she turned, catching her. Big eyes, large enough to contain her. And Ginny could see herself, a pale silhouette, writhing in place at the back of Luna's irises while the girl soaked up every minute of her day. Ink on a blank canvas, she gave herself too easily.

_Will you be my friend? _My _friend? My _friend?

Not captured, not possessed, no. Luna was a sweet girl, a girl she liked and there was no reason to tremble as she rushed through corridors, the gaze tracking her steps. But she woke up at night and felt watched, small and feeble in the grip of another mind. Someone saw, someone knew (_Iwillalwaysbethere_) and it had to stop, had to.

Her skin rustled like paper, shadows digging nests under her eyes.

She would be talking to Luna tomorrow.

Because she liked Luna. They were friendly and Ginny had done nothing wrong, had she? They hadn't fought or anything—just that silly name thing, irrelevant to the issue—and they could, they _could_ have an explanation and then be okay. Luna wasn't the type to hold a claim on her, force on her things she didn't want. But she would turn and there she was, big eyes taking her in, and words would not form on her tongue. She couldn't step forward. Offer more of herself. A scream bubbled in her throat instead, bitten back with trepidation.

_What are you thinking? What is she doing?_

"Gosh, but that girl is stalking you!" exclaimed her dorm mates, as one evening, the words poured out. "It's disgusting. What does she want? Always did act weird. Such a little creep."

Words to capture Luna, shrink her like she'd shrunk Ginny, helpless and lost. And she felt relieved and nauseated.

(_She always was a creep. Why couldn't you see it? Goddamn Ginny, don't you trust too easily!_)

A creep a creep a creep. Luna was a creep, it was Luna in the wrong when Ginny tried to outpace her through Hogwarts without quite running, heart pounding and satchel digging into her shoulder. She was the victim and she was being stalked. She hadn't chosen it, hadn't brought it on herself, hadn't asked for anything at all. She'd done nothing. Nothing.

"Ask your brothers," they said. "What else do you need six of them for? Use that to your advantage, for once!" And Ginny obeyed. Ginny braced herself and told her family about her little problem.

("Don't worry, little sis. We're here for you. We'll take care of that together.")

The next day, they stood by her side in the corridors. The next day, they were united and strong, Ginny in the middle with her head held high, unburdened by fear or guilt.

Luna faded, in the crowd of students, one more pair of eyes in a flock of many. Luna had no hold on her. Luna became the shadow, small and writhing in the back of distant eyes.

Ginny walked free. Ginny breathed deeply. Lighter, stronger.

And all the rest was silence.


End file.
